Research Article

What Psychologists Know and Believe about Memory: A Survey of Practitioners

  1. Svein Magnussen1,*,
  2. Annika Melinder2

Article first published online: 12 APR 2011

DOI: 10.1002/acp.1795

Issue

Applied Cognitive Psychology

Applied Cognitive Psychology

Volume 26, Issue 1, pages 54–60, January/February 2012

Additional Information

How to Cite

Magnussen, S. and Melinder, A. (2012), What Psychologists Know and Believe about Memory: A Survey of Practitioners. Appl. Cognit. Psychol., 26: 54–60. doi: 10.1002/acp.1795

Author Information

  1. 1

    Center for the Study of Human Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway

  2. 2

    Cognitive Developmental Research Unit, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway

*Svein Magnussen, Center for the Study of Human Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Box 1094 Blindern, 0317 Oslo, Norway.
E-mail: s.j.magnussen@psykologi.uio.no

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 18 JAN 2012
  2. Article first published online: 12 APR 2011
  3. Manuscript Accepted: 13 MAR 2011
  4. Manuscript Revised: 29 DEC 2010
  5. Manuscript Received: 24 AUG 2010

SEARCH

SEARCH BY CITATION

ARTICLE TOOLS

View Full Article (HTML) Get PDF (128K)

Summary

We surveyed 858 licensed psychologists, members of the Norwegian Psychological Association, about their knowledge and beliefs about human memory. The results were compared to the results of parallel surveys of legal professionals and lay persons, and evaluated in the light of the results of current memory science. The results indicate that psychologists are not memory experts qua psychologists; as a group, psychologists do not score above the level of knowledge of lay persons or trial judges on issues of eyewitness memory, and a substantial minority of the sample of respondents harbours scientifically unproven ideas of memory. The implications of these findings for psychological practice, with special reference to the court room, are briefly discussed. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

View Full Article (HTML) Get PDF (128K)